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CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT - TERM II

SUPPORT MATERIAL - USE OF ENGLISH # 8 PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

Name : Class: Level: FCE

Teacher: David Johnson Date:
Skill: Text Production
Indicator: Applies the appropriate rules in a variety of exercises in order to develop a coherent work.

unimaginative tasteless

un- imagine -ative taste -

less

to form root to form root to

form adjective
the opposite word the adjective word
meaning without

Prefixes Meaning Example

un- opposite uncommon

in- opposite incorrect

over- too much oversleep

Suffixes Meaning Example

-less without defenseless

-ive constructive

-able fashionable
adjective
-ible horrible
-ous humorous

-ly adverb slowly

PREFIXES (Adjectives)

Prefix Meaning Example

un- opposite uncomfortable / unjust

in- opposite inconvenient / inedible

*becomes im- before a root beginning with

m or p immature / impatient
*becomes ir- before a word beginning with
r irreplaceable /
irreversible
*becomes il- before a word beginning with
l illegal / illegible

dis- opposite dissimilar / disloyal

PREFIXES (Verbs)

Prefixes Meaning Examples

dis- opposite (to reverse the action of the verb)

disagree, disapprove,
disbelieve,
disconnect,
 discredit, dislike,
dismount,
disprove, etc.

un- opposite (to reverse the action of the verb) unbend,

undo, undress,
unfold, unload,
unlock,
unveil, unwrap,
unzip.
OTHER PREFIXES

Prefix Meaning Examples

anti against anti-war, antisocial, antibiotic

auto of or by oneself autograph, auto-pilot,

autobiography

bi two, twice bicycle, bi-monthly, biannual

ex former ex-wife, ex-student, ex-

president

ex out of extract, exhale, excommunicate

micro small micro-computer,

microwave

mis badly / wrongly misunderstand, mistranslate

mono one / single monologue, monogamous

multi many multi-national, multi-

purpose

over too much overdo, overtired,

oversleep

post after postwar, postgraduate

pro in favour of pro-government, pro-

revolutionary

pseudo false pseudo-scientific

re again or back retype, reread, replace,

rewind

semi half semicircular, semi-final

sub under subway, submarine, subdivision

under not enough underworked, underused

SUFFIXES (Common Nouns)

Suffix Meaning Examples

-er writer, worker,

shopper
the person who does an activity
-or actor, operator, sailor

-er pencil-sharpener,
grater

-or things which do a particular job projector

-er/-ee person who receives or

employer/employee
experiences the action sender/addressee

-(t)ion to make nouns from verbs complication,

pollution

-ist [person] peoples politics, beliefs and Marxism,

Buddhism,
ideologies, and sometimes journalism,
anarchist,
-ism [activity their profession physicist,
terrorist
or ideology]

-ist people who play musical pianist, violinist,

cellist
 instruments

-ness to make nouns from adjectives goodness,

readiness,
sadness, weakness
SUFFIXES (Adjectives)

Suffix Meaning Examples

-able /-ible can be done drinkable,

washable, readable,
recognizable, countable,
forgivable,
edible, flexible

SUFFIXES (Verbs)

Suffix Meaning Examples

-ise (or ize) makes verbs from adjectives

modernize,
commercialize,
industrialize

OTHER SUFFIXES

-ment (nouns) excitement, enjoyment,

replacement

-ity (nouns) flexibility, productivity, scarcity

-hood (abstract nouns especially

family terms) childhood, motherhood

-ship (abstract nouns especially

status) friendship, partnership, membership

-ive (adjectives) passive, productive, active

-al (adjectives) brutal, legal

(nouns) refusal, arrival

-ous (adjectives) delicious, outrageous, furious

-ful (adjectives) forgetful, hopeful, useful

-less (adjectives) useless, harmless, cloudless

-ify (verbs) beautify, purify, terrify

NOTE: the informal suffix ish, which can be added to most common
adjectives, ages and times to make them less precise, e.g. Shes
thirtyish. He has reddish hair. Come about eightish.